Russian President Vladimir Putin annexed swathes of occupied Ukrainian territory on Friday and has vowed to defend them using everything in Russia's arsenal, including nuclear weapons. What should we do?
A nuclear test is taking place.
When a nuclear bomb explodes, it creates an intense flash of light, a huge fireball, unleash large amounts of energy and produce a devastating shockwave.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advise people near the blast to protect themselves by shielding their eyes, dropping to the ground, and covering their nose and mouth with cloth.
"Get inside and stay inside" is the best thing survivors can do, according to a nuclear science professor at Oregon State University.
Shelter is important to avoid harmful radioactive material drifting back to Earth after a nuclear blast, and while any building is safer than being outside, the best shelters are multi-story brick or concrete buildings.
Those caught in the blast should stay away from roofs and outer walls, and survivors should keep their doors and windows closed until the cloud of dust has dissipated.
The effects of a nuclear blast diminish rapidly with distance from the epicenter, and moving people out of contaminated areas is the best way to avoid harmful effects.
The four Russian-occupied regions of Ukraine were annexed by Putin on Friday. The votes were seen as an obvious pretext for annexation. The regions that are not under Moscow's control will be defended by all means. Putin said last week that he would use nuclear weapons if world leaders did not act seriously.
Throughout Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the spectre of nuclear power has lingered. Russian troops took control of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant within days of their invasion. The Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant is Europe's largest and was taken over by Moscow. The situation at the plant sparked global concern and sparked fears of another nuclear catastrophe inUkraine as it repeatedly came under fire on the front lines, with both Kyiv and Moscow accusing the other of courting disaster. The future of the plant, which is located in territory Russia now claims but does not completely control, is uncertain because of a proposal by the United Nations.
After a nuclear explosion, health authorities warn against using hair conditioners. It's better to trap radioactive materials in the hair than to wash them away.
It is difficult to predict what will happen in Ukraine. According to Forbes, Putin would not deploy the larger weapons in Russia's arsenal as this would leave Moscow very little room to maneuver or escalate. A tactical nuclear warhead is a small device that can be used on the battlefield. Dr. Rod Thornton, a security expert at King's College London, told Forbes that tactical weapons can still be devastating even though they are smaller. Power is a bit different with nuclear weapons. The biggest tactical devices can be as big as 100 kiloton, which is equal to the power of 1,000 tons of TNT. The bombs the U.S. dropped on Nagasaki had an estimated yield of 21 kiloton. Thornton said it is unlikely that Putin would hit a Ukrainian city in the first strike. There is very little chance of Moscow targeting anywhere outside ofUkraine. He said that a nuclear attack would be a signal to Moscow that it is serious and willing to defend itself. Snake Island, the Black Sea outpost taken early in the war by Russia that became a symbol of Ukrainian resistance, could be one of the targets.
There has been an increase in demand for iodine pills due to the threat of nuclear disaster. In case of a nuclear accident, the pills can help protect against the radioactive iodine that can be released. Higley said that they block the radioactive form from entering the body. If there is radioactive iodine in the environment, the pills need to be taken regularly in order to remain effective. During the war, sales of radiation meters and pills have increased.
There were 5,970. According to an estimate by theFAS, Russia has more nuclear warheads than any other country. FAS estimates that the U.S. has 5,428 warheads. Most of the world's nuclear weapons are held by Russia and the U.S. Weapons from the fall of the Soviet Union were given to Russia. After building its own nuclear weapons, South Africa surrendered them.
If Putin ordered a nuclear strike, what would happen?
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